Il "Sogno" di un collezionista del Seicento napoletano. Maurizio Di Gregorio tra riscrittura e plagio

Nel 1614 escono a Napoli il Sogno e il Rosario delle stampe de tutti i poeti e poetesse antichi e moderni di numero 500 del domenicano e accademico ozioso Maurizio Di Gregorio. Il saggio prende in esame le strategie di riscrittura che sorreggono per intero la struttura dell'opera dove i testi di autori più o meno contemporanei (Tommaso Garzoni, Giovan Battista Rinaldi) sono sottoposti a un intenso lavoro di aggiornamento. L'analisi si concentra in particolar modo sui prelievi che nel Sogno vengono identificati, sulle metodologie e tecniche di composizione del frate predicatore dedito a uno 'schizofrenico' esercizio letterario.Sogno and Rosario delle stampe de tutti i poeti e poetesse antichi e moderni di numero 500 by the Dominican friar and idle academic Maurizio Di Gregorio were published in Naples in 1614. This essay examines the rewriting strategies supporting the entire structure of a work in which texts by more or less contemporary authors (Tommaso Garzoni, Giovan Battista Rinaldi) undergo an intense labour of revision. This analysis focuses particularly on the quotations identified in Sogno, as well as on the methodologies and composition techniques of the preaching-friar, and his peculiarly 'schizophrenic' literary practice

Qualche nota intorno ai musei, collezioni e studi d'artista negli scritti di Cosimo De Giorgi

EnThe essay is about the descriptions of museums, private collections and artists' studios in the context of the development of regional museum institutions and a new concept of protection and conservation.ItIl saggio propone una riflessione sulla ricorrenza delle descrizioni di musei, collezioni private e studi d'artista alla luce della nascita e formazione delle grandi istituzioni museali regionali nel quadro di un nuovo concetto di tutela e conservazione

Nanoparticles-cell association predicted by protein corona fingerprints

In a physiological environment (e.g., blood and interstitial fluids) nanoparticles (NPs) will bind proteins shaping a "protein corona" layer. The long-lived protein layer tightly bound to the NP surface is referred to as the hard corona (HC) and encodes information that controls NP bioactivity (e.g. cellular association, cellular signaling pathways, biodistribution, and toxicity). Decrypting this complex code has become a priority to predict the NP biological outcomes. Here, we use a library of 16 lipid NPs of varying size (Ø ≈ 100-250 nm) and surface chemistry (unmodified and PEGylated) to investigate the relationships between NP physicochemical properties (nanoparticle size, aggregation state and surface charge), protein corona fingerprints (PCFs), and NP-cell association. We found out that none of the NPs' physicochemical properties alone was exclusively able to account for association with human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). For the entire library of NPs, a total of 436 distinct serum proteins were detected. We developed a predictive-validation modeling that provides a means of assessing the relative significance of the identified corona proteins. Interestingly, a minor fraction of the HC, which consists of only 8 PCFs were identified as main promoters of NP association with HeLa cells. Remarkably, identified PCFs have several receptors with high level of expression on the plasma membrane of HeLa cells

Nanoparticles-cell association predicted by protein corona fingerprints

In a physiological environment (e.g., blood and interstitial fluids) nanoparticles (NPs) will bind proteins shaping a "protein corona" layer. The long-lived protein layer tightly bound to the NP surface is referred to as the hard corona (HC) and encodes information that controls NP bioactivity (e.g. cellular association, cellular signaling pathways, biodistribution, and toxicity). Decrypting this complex code has become a priority to predict the NP biological outcomes. Here, we use a library of 16 lipid NPs of varying size (Ø ≈ 100-250 nm) and surface chemistry (unmodified and PEGylated) to investigate the relationships between NP physicochemical properties (nanoparticle size, aggregation state and surface charge), protein corona fingerprints (PCFs), and NP-cell association. We found out that none of the NPs' physicochemical properties alone was exclusively able to account for association with human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). For the entire library of NPs, a total of 436 distinct serum proteins were detected. We developed a predictive-validation modeling that provides a means of assessing the relative significance of the identified corona proteins. Interestingly, a minor fraction of the HC, which consists of only 8 PCFs were identified as main promoters of NP association with HeLa cells. Remarkably, identified PCFs have several receptors with high level of expression on the plasma membrane of HeLa cells

The influence of protein corona on Graphene Oxide: implications for biomedical theranostics

: Graphene-based nanomaterials have attracted significant attention in the field of nanomedicine due to their unique atomic arrangement which allows for manifold applications. However, their inherent high hydrophobicity poses challenges in biological systems, thereby limiting their usage in biomedical areas. To address this limitation, one approach involves introducing oxygen functional groups on graphene surfaces, resulting in the formation of graphene oxide (GO). This modification enables improved dispersion, enhanced stability, reduced toxicity, and tunable surface properties. In this review, we aim to explore the interactions between GO and the biological fluids in the context of theranostics, shedding light on the formation of the "protein corona" (PC) i.e., the protein-enriched layer that formed around nanosystems when exposed to blood. The presence of the PC alters the surface properties and biological identity of GO, thus influencing its behavior and performance in various applications. By investigating this phenomenon, we gain insights into the bio-nano interactions that occur and their biological implications for different intents such as nucleic acid and drug delivery, active cell targeting, and modulation of cell signalling pathways. Additionally, we discuss diagnostic applications utilizing biocoronated GO and personalized PC analysis, with a particular focus on the detection of cancer biomarkers. By exploring these cutting-edge advancements, this comprehensive review provides valuable insights into the rapidly evolving field of GO-based nanomedicine for theranostic applications

Protein corona-enabled serological tests for early stage cancer detection

Abstract Early stage cancer detection is a major issue in current medicine. In recent years, nanotechnology is providing new alternatives for early diagnosis. Upon exposure to human plasma, several nanoparticle types (e.g. gold nanoparticles) are surrounded by a protein layer referred to as protein corona (PC). The PC changes the original identity of the nanoparticle conferring a new biological character. It is now accepted that slight variations in the composition of a protein source significantly varies the PC composition. Thus, nanomaterials incubated with plasma proteins of individuals with different physiological conditions generate PCs with different compositions. This gives rise to the new concept of personalised PC. Therefore, since protein patterns of subjects affected by certain pathologies differ from those of healthy ones, diagnostic technologies based on the evaluation of personalised PC could represent a fascinating opportunity for early disease detection. Herein, we review the concept of personalised PC along with recent advances on the topic, giving an overview of some innovative analytical approaches for early stage cancer detection

Probing the role of nuclear-envelope invaginations in the nuclear-entry route of lipofected DNA by multi-channel 3D confocal microscopy.

Nuclear breakdown was found to be the dominant route for DNA entry into the nucleus in actively dividing cells. The possibility that alternative routes contribute to DNA entry into the nucleus, however, cannot be ruled out. Here we address the process of lipofection by monitoring the localization of fluorescently-labelled DNA plasmids at the single-cell level by confocal imaging in living interphase cells. As test formulation we choose the cationic 3β-[N-(N,N-dimethylaminoethane)-carbamoyl] cholesterol (DC-Chol) and the zwitterionic helper lipid dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) with plasmidic DNA pre-condensed by means of protamine. By exploiting the spectral shift of the fluorescent dye FM4-64 (N-(3-triethylammoniumpropyl)-4-(p-diethylaminophenylhexatrienyl)-pyridinium 2Br) we monitor the position of the nuclear envelope (NE), while concomitantly imaging the whole nucleus (by Hoechst) and the DNA (by Cy3 fluorophore) in a multi-channel 3D confocal imaging experiment. Reported results show that DNA clusters are typically associated with the NE membrane in the form of tubular invaginations spanning the nuclear environment, but not completely trapped within the NE invaginations, i.e. the DNA may use these NE regions as entry-points towards the nucleus. These observations pave the way to investigating the molecular details of the postulated processes for a better exploitation of gene-delivery vectors, particularly for applications in non-dividing cells

Mechanistic insights into the release of doxorubicin from graphene oxide in cancer cells

Liposomal doxorubicin (L-DOX) is a popular drug formulation for the treatment of several cancer types (e.g., recurrent ovarian cancer, metastatic breast cancer, multiple myeloma, etc.), but poor nuclear internalization has hampered its clinical applicability so far. Therefore, novel drug-delivery nanosystems are actively researched in cancer chemotherapy. Here we demonstrate that DOX-loaded graphene oxide (GO), GO-DOX, exhibits much higher anticancer efficacy as compared to its L-DOX counterpart if administered to cellular models of breast cancer. Then, by a combination of live-cell confocal imaging and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), we suggest that GO-DOX may realize its superior performances by inducing massive intracellular DOX release (and its subsequent nuclear accumulation) upon binding to the cell plasma membrane. Reported results lay the foundation for future exploitation of these new adducts as high-performance nanochemotherapeutic agents

Insights into the effect of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics on HER2 signaling pathways

: Plastic pollution poses a significant threat to both ecosystems and human health, as fragments of microscale size are daily inhaled and ingested. Such tiny specks are defined as microplastics (MPs), and although their presence as environmental contaminants is ubiquitous in the world, their possible effects at biological and physiological levels are still not clear. To explore the potential impacts of MP exposure, we produced and characterized polyethylene terephthalate (PET) micro-fragments, then administered them to living cells. PET is widely employed in the production of plastic bottles, and thus represents a potential source of environmental MPs. However, its potential effects on public health are hardly investigated, as the current bio-medical research on MPs mainly utilizes different models, such as polystyrene particles. This study employed cell viability assays and Western blot analysis to demonstrate cell-dependent and dose-dependent cytotoxic effects of PET MPs, as well as a significant impact on HER-2-driven signaling pathways. Our findings provide insight into the biological effects of MP exposure, particularly for a widely used but poorly investigated material such as PET